Week 11 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

There are four NFL teams on bye in Week 11. That is usually a prescription for heavy roster turnover and triage in fantasy circles. However, this bye week is uniquely tame. While this bye is taking the NFL’s leading tackler (Zaire Franklin) away from us, the losses could be far worse. The Saints typically have […]

Week 10 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

We are entering that fantasy phase where some teams must plan for next year. Some squads have been hit with injuries, others bad luck. Whatever the reason, hundreds of managers in long-term keeper or dynasty leagues have a 2-7 or 3-6 record. This leaves you with little hope of contention and the startling reality of […]

Week 10 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

I'll begin with a disclaimer: I know this article is about defense and IDP rankings. Arthur Smith is obviously an offensive-minded coach whose decisions/mistakes largely impact offensive players. That said, we are all fantasy football fans, and Smith routinely does or says things that put him in the crosshairs of fantasy and regular football fans […]

Week 9 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

The NFL's trade deadline was again a noteworthy affair, which is thankfully becoming a regular occurrence. While the offensive moves at the deadline were limited, there were several major moves on the defensive side of the ball. That's music to many IDP managers' ears. For fantasy purposes, we saw four trades that likely impacted IDP […]

Week 9 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

Am I the only one who feels the number of noteworthy injuries in the NFL is increasing despite almost every rule being geared toward player safety? The data and reports are mixed on this subject, but the optics are there. For example, the NFL reports that concussions have steadily declined since 2015, but CBS reported […]

Week 8 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

The NFL's trade deadline is fast approaching, and that is finally starting to mean something. After a near century of stagnant deadline behavior from NFL teams, we are starting to see contenders make a mid-season push with trades. It's a refreshing change of pace, even if it often results in a waste of money and […]

Week 8 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

It's Week 8, and it’s a bit of a unicorn because… there are no teams on bye! Now, I know what you're asking. If there is this perfectly good week sitting right in the middle of the schedule where no teams are off, why on earth were there teams on bye in Weeks 5 and […]

Week 7 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

As we enter Week 7 of the NFL season, we are nearing the mid-point of the fantasy sleight. Thus, now is a good time to take stock of the IDP waiver landscape. Specifically, what players are woefully under-rostered in IDP leagues. To do this, we will remember that some teams have already had bye weeks, […]

Week 7 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

Time flies when you’re having fun, allegedly. Perhaps that’s also occasionally true when you are not having fun, though. How else could one explain how quickly it seems we've reached Week 7 of the NFL season despite countless injuries that only continued to pile up in Week 6? In the past two weeks alone, we've […]

Week 6 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

In this week’s IDP rankings article, I lampooned Arthur Smith as an offensive coach who can’t score points and gets bailed out by his defense and soft schedule. Today, I'd like to touch on another offensive coach who some are giving too much credit this week. That coach is Nathaniel Hackett. While the Jets rightly […]

Week 6 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to begin this week by returning to a favorite topic of mine: Arthur Smith. The former Titans’ coordinator has been a whipping post of mine for some time, but he’s earned praise from some analysts as a “gamer” who wins despite his offense (his specialty) struggling to score touchdowns. […]

Week 5 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

As we enter Week 5 and the first round of byes, it is a good time to take stock of what IDP managers could be doing better. After all, we are here to advise the masses, aren't we? One way to help IDP managers improve, especially in shallow formats, is to consider the problems with […]

Week 5 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

It's Week 5 in the NFL, which means the first round of byes is here. That brings questions for all of us. Chief among those questions is, "Why does any NFL team need a bye this early in the season?" It's a valid question, especially since the NFL added an extra game in 2021. Odds […]

Week 4 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

Week 3 was a nice recovery from the sleight before it, where my risers and fades had more misses than not. Of course, any streamer recommendations are aimed at little-rostered or seldom-started players, so those calls will always have hits and misses. That is the nature of elevating waiver options and fading regular starters. However, […]

Week 4 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

Entering this season, IDP managers faced a down year in individual defensive player rankings. Specifically, it was a season without a clear and unquestioned top-overall defender who should be drafted before all others. Shaquille Leonard was once this type of fantasy defender, but he lost that crown to injury and competition on his own team. […]

Week 3 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

There is one thing that new IDP managers should remember as in-season moves and injuries start to rack up. That is defensive news travels slower than offensive news does. Just think about how many alerts you got when Kareem Hunt signed, or Cam Akers was traded. These running backs couldn't find a field last week, […]

Week 3 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

While Week 2 was rough for some of my streamer picks, it ultimately served as a reminder of how unreliable metrics can be year-to-year. As I’ve said before, coaching staff and offensive line changes happen every season, and the smallest move can change everything. If a team loses one guard, the whole line can suffer. […]

Week 2 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

With a week under our belts, injuries are already taking hold of fantasy and NFL teams. Aaron Rodgers is the most obvious name on that list, but several IDP-relevant players also came up limping in Week 1. The most concerning defender on the injury list is Jalen Pitre, our second-ranked DB entering the season. Pitre […]

Week 2 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

Week 1 of the NFL season is under our belts. The opening weekend had its usual share of surprises, such as Puka Nakua exceeding our wildest expectations. It also had its fair share of unsurprising outcomes, as some players and teams met our expectations to a T. For example, as we expected, Chris Jones missed […]

Week 1 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

The NFL season starts in less than a week, which is an exciting time for most. However, the beginning of the year can be nerve-wracking if you rostered injured superstars like Cooper Kupp or Jonathan Taylor. IDP fans may have it even worse. Nick Bosa and Chris Jones managers don't just worry about whether their […]

IDP Positional Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts - Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back (Individual Defensive Players)

With the 2023 NFL season just a couple of weeks away, now is a fine time to renew my IDP positional rankings series. Every year, I will designate the top players at each defensive position in fantasy football and give you weekly analysis based on their matchups. We will do the same here but with […]

IDP Fantasy Football Mock Draft: One-Man Mock for Individual Defensive Players

Odds are you’ve heard fantasy football analysts refer to their “home leagues” before, but many don’t know what that means. Home leagues are your oldest fantasy leagues with your best friends, or leagues that you join to bond with coworkers. They include all kinds of personalities and skill levels, and they will always have head-scratching […]

2023 Rookie QB Predictions - Fantasy Football Dynasty League Projections

After a weak 2022 NFL Draft that left a bitter taste in the mouths of QB-needy Superflex teams last year, rookie quarterbacks are back on the radar of Superflex managers. Heading into fantasy football drafts last year, Kenny Pickett’s ceiling was always likely to be a mid-tier QB2. Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder had interesting […]

2023 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft For Non-Superflex Leagues

With the NFL Draft in our rearview mirror, we have finally entered the Dynasty Rookie Draft season, and startup season is just around the corner. That means many of you are actively wondering what to do with this year's rookie class. It's a fair question in need of an answer, but that answer will largely […]

Running Back Sleepers and Undervalued Picks for Fantasy Football

No position in fantasy sports is as hotly debated as running back. At fantasy’s inception, running back was the paramount position. For 30+ years, drafting a stud RB with your first pick was not only advised but necessary. People who passed on the position typically struggled to keep up in traditional leagues. Things are changing […]

2023 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft for Superflex Leagues

With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, Dynasty Rookie Draft season is upon us, and the start of Dynasty Startup season is just around the corner. This means that many of you are likely wondering what to do with this year's rookie class. It's a fair question, but the answer will largely depend on […]

Two Round NFL Draft Mock (Draft Day Finale)

It's Draft Day, and the wait is almost over - finally! Various factors are now coming into play, including last-minute leaks that have players higher than we thought and lower. Sometimes the hardest mock to do is the one right before the draft because that is the one most bogged down by last-minute rumors and […]

Two Round NFL Draft Mock (Post-First Wave Free Agency)

Fresh off the NFL Combine and the first wave of free agency, we are armed with a new wave of hype and intrigue. As is true with every postseason bowl game, workout, and meeting, the NFL world is fresh with rumors, excitement, and speculation. Thus, now is as good a time as any to do […]

Fantasy Football: Dynasty Buy Lows (Post Free Agency)

Approximately one month ago, we offered you a list of players worth targeting in dynasty before NFL free agency. As we addressed at that time, those players were the types who stood to gain value thanks to projected off-season moves. Examples included Alexander Mattison gaining landing a starting job, Michael Pittman Jr. getting a new […]

NFL Draft Mock for Teams Without a First Round Pick

For NFL Draft junkies, there is no more frustrating experience than your team entering draft night without a first-round pick. That frustration is amplified when they don’t have a second or third-rounder, either. Few draft materials truly speak to fans of these teams. Whether you tune in to NFL Network or ESPN's coverage, look up […]